


Be Afraid (Of How Much You Love Me)

by JustWantSomeMilk



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Alternate universe - Mafia, Jaehyun-centric, M/M, Mafia-type violence, Tags will be added as chapters progress, mentions of other nct members - Freeform, mentions of physical abuse, relationships will also be added as the chapters progress, some fantasy elements, unnamed character deaths
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2019-07-29 19:46:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16271102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustWantSomeMilk/pseuds/JustWantSomeMilk
Summary: Jaehyun begins his new job at Limitless Corp. and quickly realizes there's more to his job description than he realized.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is heavily inspired by the Irregular Office teaser that SM decided to bless us with. It's also slightly inspired by American Horror Story theories. (also the title is a "The Office" quote because I couldn't control myself.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehyun has nutty co-workers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cue elevator music from Regular*

Jaehyun slips into the elevator, pressing the button for the ninth floor before relaxing against the railing. The mirrors around him are pristine, no smudges visible on any part of the surface. He takes a sip of his coffee as he glances down at the papers in his hand. His boss’ neat handwriting spells out the tasks he needs to accomplish for the day. Despite his busy schedule Taeyong always takes the time to write Jaehyun’s checklist for the day and slips it into his mailbox each morning before Jaehyun arrives at work.

Jaehyun started working at Limitless Corp. a week ago and he's starting to feel more comfortable in his new position. His co-workers on the ninth floor are all nice people and make Jaehyun feel at ease. He was excited when Taeyong had called him for an interview after he submitted his application. He was even more ecstatic when he was offered the position of office assistant. Having a job again eased his anxious heart after quitting his old one months ago.

There’s a soft ding as the elevator he’s in reaches its destination. He strolls into the office, passing through sliding doors before stepping into the slightly cooler atmosphere of the office. He greets those who are already seated at the desks and gives Youngho a fist bump before sliding into his seat. He sets his cup on top of his Hanzo coaster and pins his to-do list to the board in front of him.

The first item on his list is to re-stock all the photocopiers on the floor. Taking one more sip of his coffee, he stands up to march to the storage room. Using his master key to let himself inside he turns on the lights, revealing the neatest storage room he’s ever had the pleasure of laying his eyes upon. Everything is neatly labelled, all in Taeyong’s neat print (his boss has a penchant for handwriting rather than typing). Items are artfully stacked and packed away, easily accessible for all who need it. It’s easy for Jaehyun to locate the printing paper and he grabs 4 packs, balancing them on top of each other before turning back into the office.

He carefully fills each photocopier, neatly placing the paper into the bottom trays. Sicheng is standing in front of the last photocopier, waiting patiently for his print job to finish.

“Jaehyun!” He greets, shooting the assistant a dazzling smile, “I’ll be done with the copier in a minute. How do you like your job so far?”

The first time Jaehyun heard Sicheng speak he fell in love with the soft, accented lilt of his voice. There’s something about his voice that makes it sound calming and persuasive.

“I’m more comfortable with it now. If I were to be honest I was very nervous all of last week,” Jaehyun admits, leaning against the wall.

Sicheng nods. “It’s only human of you to feel that way. Everyone is nervous when they start a new job. Johnny said ‘Yes daddy’ instead of boss to Taeyong because he was so nervous on his first day.”

An indignant “HEY!” can be heard from Johnny’s direction and Sicheng giggles.

“He’s worked here longer than most of us so we always tell the new hires that story.” The photocopier spits out one last piece of paper before the printing noises cease. Sicheng grabs the stack of papers, the blank side expertly facing Jaehyun the whole time before he makes a saluting motion with two fingers.

“I’ll catch you later,” he says before walking back to his desk.

-

“Hey! New guy!” is the only warning Jaehyun gets before getting pelted on his nose with a popcorn kernel. Appalled he peers over the divider to look at the culprit. Donghyuk has a smug look on his face as he shoves a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

“Do…I even want to ask?”

Donghyuk shrugs. “It’s nothing special. I just wanted to see if you’d reflexively catch it with your mouth.”

Jaehyun gives him an incredulous look. “With my only warning being ‘hey, new guy’? At least mention a mouth to give me a hint.”

Donghyuk quirks an eyebrow at him. A look that Jaehyun cannot decipher passes over his face before it’s replaced with a mischievous expression.

“Mouth,” he says before lobbing another kernel at Jaehyun. This time Jaehyun is prepared and catches the snack in his mouth, emphasizing the crunch as he bites down on the piece. Beside Donghyuk, Taeil provides Jaehyun with a slow clap.

“Impressive,” he supplies. Donghyuk glances at Taeil and then gives Jaehyun his own impressed look. “It might not seem like it but he means it. Good job new guy, you have some popcorn catching talent.”

Jaehyun lowers into a mock bow as the whole office follows Taeil’s lead in slow clapping. Donghyuk lets out a loud laugh before crumpling his empty popcorn bag and tossing it in the trash. He mutters something about stealing Jungwoo’s leftovers from the fridge before walking towards the staff room and disappearing with the click of the door.

-

Johnny’s a great desk buddy. In fact, Johnny’s probably the best desk buddy Jaehyun’s ever had. One Friday afternoon Jaehyun hears rummaging beside him, not looking up in favour of diligently working on proof reading the papers in front of him. There’s loud clanking sounds, a questionable thud, and lots of scratching before Jaehyun hears a triumphant, “Ah-ha!” Curiosity gets the better of him and Jaehyun turns his head to see what Johnny managed to conjure whilst sounding like he almost broke his left pinky toe in the process.

Atop his desk sits a large bottle of some alcoholic drink that Jaehyun cannot pinpoint. The new office assistant does not often buy alcohol for himself, opting to go out for drink or drink whatever is gifted to him if he happens to stay home. He’s never made an effort to educate himself in the ways of alcohol.

When he expresses this Johnny looks at him with a wounded expression.

“Ace of Spades,” he says after listing off something fancy and French sounding. “Not the most expensive but can easily go for 2.5k a pop.” Jaehyun almost falls off his chair.

“Anyways, today’s Friday and that is a cause for celebration.” He pops open the bottle and presents Jaehyun with a glass that the latter didn’t even see him bring out.

Jaehyun sips his champagne in confused shock as Johnny walks around to provide all his co-workers a taste of liquid gold.

-

Interactions with Taeil, Jaehyun realizes, are extremely rare because he’s so elusive in the office. Often times the chair beside Donghyuk is filled with his infinite amounts of snacks. Donghyuk always has food.

Monday morning Taeil walks in with a large suitcase and a scanner wand that you see in the airport. Jaehyun has just sat down, coffee still in hand and hovering over the Hanzo coaster.

“What are you doing?” Jaehyun asks, curiously peering over the divider as Taeil sits at his desk. The other company workers don’t seem phased in the slightest, working diligently at their desks.

“Checking for anything bad,” Taeil replies vaguely. “I oversee security downstairs and if anything doesn’t look right it gets sent to me to double check.”

Taeil being the head of security actually explains a lot in terms of his frequent absences from the office. He must be busy making sure the company isn’t at risk for potentially dangerous situations.

After Taeil finishes inspecting the suitcase he gets up again, whistling a merry tune as he rolls the luggage back towards the elevator.

-

 

Jaehyun’s waiting for the door of the elevator to close when he sees Yuta walking towards him. Yuta has two large metal cases in each hand, lab goggles hanging loosely around his neck. His dress shoes tap crisply against the floor.

Jaehyun hold the door for the older man but Yuta stops outside the elevator.

“You go up first,” Yuta says, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. He rests the weight of one case on his heel. “I’m going to a different floor and it’s going to be a tight fit with these cases.”

Jaehyun is about to point out that he’s the only other person in the elevator and there’s plenty of space but a set glint in Yuta’s eyes makes him shrug instead.

“Sure, I’ll see you later in the office?”

“Of course,” Yuta replies, looking satisfied that Jaehyun didn’t push the matter further.

When Jaehyun sits at his desk, he sees the elevator number go back to the ground floor before climbing up again. It stops at the sixth floor before making its descent once more.

-

As co-workers go, Mark Lee takes the cake for being the nicest one. Ever. He’s diligent and hard working, carrying out his job at Limitless Corp. with genuine words and kind smiles.

“Have you ever seen this guy not smile?” Jaehyun asks as he watches Mark laugh at something Doyoung is saying across the room.

“I’m sure he’s frowned at least one,” Johnny says, looking up from whatever he’s typing to shoot Jaehyun an amused smile. “Everybody has those days.”

“If I ever witness Mark having one of those days I’ll consider it luckier than finding a four leaf clover.”

Johnny gives him a non-committal hum. “Lucky…” he echoes hollowly.

Meanwhile, Mark has wrapped up his conversation and heads towards his desk. He stops by Jaehyun’s desk to give him a friendly pat on the back.

“Hey man, thanks for the blanket you left at my desk. It’s always so cold in the office,” he comments, hand lingering on the back of Jaehyun’s chair.

“No problem, you should actually thank the boss man. He actually put it on my list of things to do,” Jaehyun replies. “Don’t call me boss man!” Taeyong says, peering across the pathway to give Jaehyun a mock expression of anger.

Jaehyun gives him a lopsided grin. “Sorry…boss.”

Taeyong just sighs.

-

“Can someone get me more packing tape? I’m out,” Doyoung calls out.

“I’ll grab it,” Jaehyun offers, getting up from his desk. He makes his way into the storage room and turns on the lights. The spot where the packing tape is normally stored appears to empty. He searches around the room to see if the tape was somehow misplaced just to go through the motions. Taeyong would never let anything get misplaced so it probably means they need to order more packing tape.

He announces his findings to his co-workers as he exits the room, turning around to double check that the lights are off.

“I think there’s actually some of the first floor,” Taeil muses out loud, “I took some earlier but I didn’t use it all.”

Just as Jaehyun opens his mouth to speak Mark chimes in. “I’ll grab it! There’s something I need to grab from the first floor anyways.” He closes his laptop and stretches, dress shirt un-tucking to show a sliver of stomach.

He strolls to the elevator in long strides, doing some funky popping move as he moonwalks through the sliding glass doors.

“Thanks Marcus!” Doyoung calls after him. Jungwoo snorts beside Jaehyun. “He thinks he’s funny but he’s not,” Jungwoo says with a roll of his eyes.

Doyoung chucks a grape at him.

-

Jaehyun thinks he’s pretty good ad reading people. People don’t seem to include Jungwoo, who actually kind of scares him. The younger man has a savage and sharp sense of humour. It’s hard for Jaehyun to tell if he’s just joking or if he truly means what he says.

One late night Jungwoo is the only one left in the office, face illuminated by the soft glow of a lamp as he types away on his laptop. Jaehyun walks out of the staff room and sees Jungwoo rub tiredly at his eyes.

“You should go home and get some rest,” he advises softly. Jungwoo offers him a tight smile.

“When the city doesn’t sleep, neither do I,” he replies cryptically. He must have noticed Jaehyun’s awkward expression before adding, “Don’t add stress lines to that beautiful face Jaehyun. You don’t have to worry, I will head home shortly.”

With nothing more to say Jaehyun bids him a good night before slipping through the glass doors and pressing the elevator button to go down. Exhaustion seeps into his bones.

-

It’s cold. Jaehyun feels something hard and cold against his cheek but he makes no effort to decipher what it may be. His mind is filled with racecars, tires causing friction on gritty asphalt. Streaks of colour flash by, blending into each other. The wind howls in his ears. Grinding gears and screeching tires sound in the distance. Suddenly he hears something else, soft and close. “Sleep,” a voice whispers. Then, it is warm.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come back and leave a comment every time you see a fic relating to Irregular Office, starting with this one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, cheers mate.

There’s a terrible crick in Jaehyun’s neck and his lower back is screaming at him in agony. There’s a low buzz of noise sounding in the distance and his brain is trying to swim through the murkiness to surface in the realm of consciousness. He attempts to open his eyes, upper and lower lashes merged together with dried crust. When he finally manages to crack one eye open his vision blurs in an attempt to correct itself. He closes the eye again for a brief moment before both eyes finally open. 

Movement proved to be difficult as his muscles are stiffened to the point of immobility. With a groan he manages to pull himself upright, he cheek un-sticking from his desk. He almost falls out of his chair when he finally takes notice of Taeyong hovering over him, an ominous look on his face. 

“Boss!” he yelps, planting his feet to keep himself upright. 

“Jaehyun,” Taeyong starts, “It’s nice of you to join us in the world of the living.” Jaehyun’s cheeks colour. “Your shift starts in half an hour, go freshen up and grab some coffee. You look like shit.” With that Taeyong walks off towards his desk.

Jaehyun looks at the clock. 7:30 AM. He must have stayed in the office the entire night. He stands up to do as Taeyong instructed but almost trips over a long piece of cloth. A blanket that he didn’t realize was draped over his shoulders cascades slowly down to the floor. He picks it up, his sleep induced brain getting more confused. He didn’t recall ever having a blanket at his desk.

-

After some needed alone time in the bathroom Jaehyun walks out, reading to own the day. Before heading back to his desk he makes a beeline towards the staff room. No one in the office seems to need coffee but he sure does and he would never pass up free coffee. He’s not even sure if the company coffee machine was even used before his arrival. Voices come from staff room, hushed words spoken with unusual seriousness. The urgency in the tone makes Jaehyun stall in the hallway, hovering outside the door and out of sight. 

“That does not look okay Mark Lee.” That’s Doyoung’s voice. 

“Please leave it alone,” comes Mark’s tired reply. 

There’s a loud thud as something is throw violently onto the ground. “And how do you suggest we do that?” someone demands. It sounds like Johnny but Jaehyun isn’t sure. He’s never heard that much rage in his desk mate’s voice before. “There are rules that need to be followed, Mark. That,” the word is spat out with malice, “does not looking following the rules.”

“And who is there to ensure these rules are followed?” Mark demands. His voice sounds strained. “The police?” He lets out a shaky laugh as if the word is supposed to be a joke. 

There’s a weighted silence that followed. 

“Mark, you know we’ll always worry,” Doyoung say softly, breaking the tension. 

Mark lets out a bitter chuckle. “And it’s appreciated. Really, I do. It’s part of the job though. It…will always be part of the job.”

Jaehyun does not stay to hear the rest of the conversation. He sits down at his desk with his new to-do list, coffee-less and shaking slightly. 15 minutes later as he’s writing away at a new document for Sicheng Johnny slips into the chair beside him.

“I heard you slept overnight at the office,” he said with an amused lilt to his voice. Any trace of the venom that Jaehyun heard dripping from his voice earlier is completely gone. Jaehyun puts on his best “I’m okay” face as he smiles sheepishly at Johnny. 

“Yeah, I didn’t even realize I fell asleep,” he admits. “I wanted to get everything organized for everyone because I know how busy you all are. I guess sorting through receipts is more boring than I thought,” he jokes weakly. Whatever confidence he mustered to convey through his voice must have worked when Johnny lets out a hearty chuckle. 

“I do not envy you,” he teases. Jaehyun laughs with him, not making eye contact. 

-

Jaehyun has dinner plans with Ten and he’s running late. He’s scrambling to get his belongings together, quickly double checking to make sure he didn’t leave anything important behind before bolting towards the door, shouting out a hasty “goodbye!” to those left in the office. As he approaches the sliding doors he sees the elevator door still opened, Taeil and Jungwoo standing inside it with large boxes stacked on top of each other. They notice him at the same time he notices them and he’s about to signal for them to hold the door for him when Jungwoo steps forward to quickly push a button. They have varying apologetic looks on their faces as the door closes and departs from the ninth floor. Jaehyun has to press the down button himself, waiting for the next elevator with annoyed confusion. He takes the next elevator alone down to the ground floor. 

-

“Ah, he’s alive!” Ten announces as Jaehyun sits in the chair across from him. 

“And still kicking,” Jaehyun adds, reaching over the table to give Ten a hybrid between a high five and a hand shake. “Sorry for being so unavailable though. Work’s been busier than I thought.”

“Ah, the golden child,” Ten says dreamily, “I still don’t know how you got hired to Limitless Corp. After you told everyone you got the job Seokmin’s been frothing in jealous in the group chat.” 

Limitless is a renowned trading company. Despite its prestigious reputation and fame not much is actually known about the company. Very few people are hired and the competition to get in is ridiculously high. No one knows what the criteria are to make it despite any rumours. It’s akin to an exclusive insider’s club that only employees get to experience. 

Jaehyun shrugs. “It’s just a regular office job,” he says honestly. “I’ve only been on my own floor so I haven’t met other people who work in the company. It’s nothing special.”

Ten raises an eyebrow. “Okay ignoring your underwhelming response, how is everything going? Is there office drama? Flings? Workplace romance?” 

Jaehyun sighs. “There’s actually none of that. All my co-workers get along great and from what I know of, nobody has the hots for each other on my floor.”

Ten waves his hand dismissively. “You’re still new; it’s barely been a month. I’m sure you will see something eventually. How’s working there though? You’re always so busy.”

“It is busy,” Jaehyun admits, “but I’m still really grateful that I got the job. It’s…different.”

“Good different or bad different?”

“Just…different.” Jaehyun hesitates, contemplating on telling Ten about the conversation he overheard earlier that day. Ultimately he decides to withhold that bit of information from his best friend. Ten looks like he wants to say something but much to Jaehyun’s relief he doesn’t press for more information. Instead, he quickly changes the topic to the party he went to the past weekend with their group of friends. As they talk Jaehyun lets the tension bleed out of his body slowly, willing himself to relax, even if it is just for one night. 

-

As Jaehyun sleeps that night he dreams about the office. Yuta stands in the centre of the office wearing a full-bodied hazmat suit. He’s looking at Donghyuk who’s sitting in a chair off to the side munching on a hot dog. Yuta has a wild look in his eyes as he exclaims, “It’s a PERFECT day for some mayhem!” Donghyuk lets out a low chuckle. “I’ll hook ‘em…” he starts, taking a large bite out of his hotdog. “And I’ll cook ‘em,” Yuta finishes with glee, clapping his hands together and then leaning down to unfurl into a flourishing bow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently processing NCT in leather suits. Brain has failed to function.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's to hoping I'll update more regularly

Work carries on. The employees of the ninth floor work vigorously and tirelessly at their never-ending job. Jungwoo deadpans an inappropriate joke and milk runs out of Mark’s nose because he’s laughing too much. Yuta makes it his mission every day to bother Sicheng at least once. That apparently includes wrestling his way onto the younger’s lap and sitting firm despite Sicheng’s protests. Johnny is constantly making dad jokes that are so ridiculously not funny, they become hilarious. Donghyuk’s never-ending supply of snacks start disappearing and Jaehyun doesn’t have the heart to tell the younger that Taeil’s been the one sneaking his own snack breaks from the younger’s stash. Doyoung and Taeyong have been working on side project together which results in them having to be off site often. Jaehyun misses their presence amongst the chaos.

The office is in a state of utmost normalcy. Jaehyun falls into the sense of rhythm set by the unspoken laws of the ninth floor. Get to work, do work, go home from work, rinse and repeat. It’s so normal that Jaehyun almost doesn’t notice the missteps in the dance. The dance is nearly perfectly executed by his co-workers that he is almost fooled. There’s Yuta stuffing more food into Donghyuk’s already filled drawers. Sicheng and Doyoung are leaving for meetings and returning with insane amounts of paperwork and grim faces. Small insignificant details add up to a perplexing loophole. Jaehyun sits at his desk and fiddles with his mug as he stares blankly at his screen. His insistent worry for his floor mates gnaws at the back of his mind and he berates himself for it. He’s unreasonably concerned when he is given nothing substantial to legitimize that concern.

When he’s packed up to go home, he gives Johnny a slap on the back in lieu of a proper goodbye before heading to the elevator. Everyone had gone home by that point and Jaehyun stifles a yawn, thankful to be going home too. He steps into the elevator and scrolls through his phone as he makes his descent. When the elevator lurches to a stop, he shoves his phone back into his pocket and straightens up. The evening security guard always seems to be in a foul mood and Jaehyun doesn’t want to give off any bad vibes or impressions. He’s halfway through they lobby when he catches sight of a familiar mop of silvery hair. Taeyong and Doyoung are standing off to the side with an unfamiliar man. Immediately Jaehyun can sense the tension as the trio converse in hushed whispers.

Suddenly the man grabs a hold of Taeyong’s arm, hushed whispers becoming angry murmurs. Taeyong flinches at the contact but doesn’t do anything to pull away. He winces as the man tightens his grip. The man’s face is red with anger, spit now flying out of his mouth as he talks. Alarmed Jaehyun internally debates if he should step in. Acting on impulse he quickens his speed as he walks towards co-workers.

“Hey boss!” he calls out lightly. Not wanting to add to the hostility, he hopes that his tone of voice gives off the impression that he may be aware of the heavy tension.

His attempt works as the man lets go of Taeyong’s arm to turn his attention to the newcomer. The man is older, hair greying and face succumbing to evident ageing factors. His expression is twisted in a sneer as he gives Jaehyun a judgemental glare. Pushing down his nervousness, Jaehyun decides to continue playing the clueless employee as his scrambles in his brain for something to say.

“I finished cleaning the kitchen today,” he says, internally wincing at how lame his conversation starter came out. “Donghyuk really knows how to maximize fridge storage.” He lets out a laugh that he hopes sounds less awkward than he feels. “Anyways, Johnny’s the last one left upstairs and I think he sneezed two times in the 5 minutes I took to pack up. I think he may be coming down with a cold.” In his peripheral vision he can see Doyoung frozen in his spot and the old man gazing at him with cold eyes.

“I tried to tell him to go home,” Jaehyun continues, “But he wouldn’t listen to me. You know him. He only listens to you. It would be good for him if you sent him home.” He picks his words carefully in hopes that it leaves less room for debates. There’s a second of silence and Jaehyun hears Doyoung inhale sharply through his nose. Taeyong shoots Doyoung and the old man a wary glance before he gives Jaehyun a tight-lipped smile.

“Thanks Jaehyun. Johnny sometimes just needs some gentle reminding sometimes. I’ll go up now. We can’t afford to have a sick staff member on the team right now.” He gives Jaehyun an undecipherable look. “You should go home now too.” Taeyong beckons Doyoung to follow him. His boss mutters something under his breath to the older man before making his way to the elevator. As Jaehyun walks out the front door he feels a strong gaze on his back, the feeling lingering even long after he gets home.

-

In his dream Jaehyun is within a forest. The trees cast looming shadows, creating an illusion of perpetual night. He wanders through, looking for a source of light. The wind blows and he shivers, hands tucking further into his sleeves. Eventually he discovers a clearing, leading to a mountain. The winds pick up as he starts his trek upwards. He climbs for what feels like eternity before a shadow looms in front of him. Look up he sees three animals blocking his pathway. The wolf gives him a chilling stare, stretching its limbs slowly in his direction. The lion crouches, teeth exposed in a nasty snarl as its ready to pouch. The leopard swings its tail back and forth, interest evident in his movements. He tries to evade them to no avail. His path is block and he is forced to turn around.

-

Jaehyun is officially stressed. He had a terrible time attempting to fall asleep and when he finally manages to do so he has the most unsettling dream. He downs 3 cups of coffee before noon and he is experiencing full blown jitters after lunch. He barely makes it to the elevator when Taeyong sends him on a mailroom run. He hurriedly presses the button to the ground floor before slumping against the side of the elevator wall. When the elevator dings, he walks out without a second thought. Taken aback by the unfamiliarity of the room he halts. Belatedly realizing that he pressed the button for the first floor instead of the ground floor, his first instinct is to turn around and walk back into the elevator but the doors close in his face. Turning back around he sees boxes everywhere, some stacks nearly reaching the ceiling. In a corner he sees a cluster of suitcases messily gathered in one place. There are no desks or computers in the room like he expected of an office building. There’s only one table in the middle of the room with a lone laptop on it. Beside the laptop Jaehyun recognizes the handheld detector Taeil often uses.

“Oh, Jaehyun!” Jaehyun whips his head around as Taeil walks out of door that he failed to notice. The older man gives him a wary look, a combination of apprehension and panic mixed into his expression. “What are you doing here?”

“I pressed the wrong button in the elevator,” Jaehyun explains truthfully, feeling slightly cornered by Taeil’s gaze. Taeil walks up to him, reaching around him to press the down button for the elevator.

“Happens to the best of us,” Taeil says, impatiently tapping his foot as he waits for the elevator to arrive.

Uncomfortable, Jaehyun also turns to face the elevator. “I won’t do it again,” he says, feeling an awkward need to apologize.

Taeil gives him a hard look. He opens his mouth to say something but the elevator arrives. Instead he walks in, holding the door open for Jaehyun without a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Seo Youngho! It's a grand ol' time here in the year of the pig.  
> If you like the fic so far let me know :) I love reading comments!
> 
> Here's this fic cross posted on AFF:  
> [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1371620/be-afraid-of-how-much-you-love-me)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm determined to finish this fic by the end of the summer. I have way too many other fic ideas that I eventually want to churn out for this fic to update every half a year lol

Jaehyun makes out a single figure beyond the large translucent veil that hangs in front of him. Through the haze he sees multiple other figures approach the person. Angry murmurs can be heard as the large group circle around the person.

“It’s too late,” one hisses, the voice coming out in horrid scratching noises.

A fist is swung and hits the lone person square in the jaw, sending them flying backwards before they land on the ground with an ugly sounding thud. The person doesn't make a noise as they prop themselves up with one hand, the other gingerly cradling their face with their other. They don’t make it off the ground when someone stomps heavily on their leg. Another person’s foot comes in, kicking them square in the chest. Jaehyun hears the person gasp as the air is knocked out of their lungs. The violence continues, jeers being thrown around as frequently as the punches and kicks. Jaehyun attempts to make a move, intent on stepping in to help but his body is frozen. His body is stuck in what feels like a nightmarish sleep paralysis as he hears the person on the floor weeping gently as they lay almost motionless on the ground.

Suddenly, the veil drops and the person looks over at Jaehyun. Taeyong’s almost unrecognizable bruised and bloodied face stares lifelessly back at him.

 

- 

 

Jaehyun jolts awake, nearly whacking Ten in the face. The latter has his hands on Jaehyun’s shoulders as if he was trying to wake him up.

“You were making weird noises in your sleep,” his friend informs him. The show Lucifer is still playing in the background. Jaehyun doesn’t remember which episode they were on before he fell asleep. He sits up, rubbing the palm of his hand on his eye as he attempts to shake off the nightmare he just had. Ten has removed his hands but he’s still standing in front of Jaehyun, arms crossed, and a frown etched on his face.

“You ok?” He asks simply. He doesn’t elaborate further, tapping his foot lightly as he patiently awaits Jaehyun’s explanation.

Jaehyun sighs. Ten’s known him for so long, attempting to brush off the topic would be impossible.

 

“It’s complicated,” he finally admits, running his fingers through his hair. “Saying nothing is wrong would technically be true. Everything at work is stellar. My co-workers are great and I’m living my best quality of life at this current moment. However, it just feels like something is constantly off, you know? I think there’s a lot more going on at work that I’m not aware of and it seems like none of my co-workers actually want me to figure it out.”

Jaehyun leaves out specific stories or details. Although they prove his point, he feels a strong urge to protect the integrity and image of his co-workers.

“I’ve also been having weird dreams and nightmares. Sometimes I don’t understand them at all but they always leave me feeling really uneasy. Other times they are of people in my life but they’re so grotesque and twisted. It’s a little unsettling.”

Ten sits down beside his friend and a silence falls over them as they both get lost in thought.

“I’ve known you almost your entire life,” Ten says, turning to look at Jaehyun. “You were never an irrational or impulsive person. If something like this is bothering you I wouldn’t double for a second that your intuition is right. I’m not going to say things will suddenly get better. I do hope, however, that you eventually figure out what it is that is causing you to bear this extra burden.” Ten gives him a smile.

“I’m not going to speak about this any further unless you decide to update me. It’s not something I need to know.”

Ten glances at his watch. “It’s late. You can crash on the couch tonight.”

With that statement, he then turns his attention back to Lucifer.

 

-

 

On a Monday, Jaehyun is sitting at his desk typing furiously on his computer. Ten’s words have been running through his head for days and it makes him restless. With work going so well he doesn’t wan to risk facing possible consequences or get fired for carelessly making statements or asking forbidden questions. He has no desire to lose his job over what could possible just be a random lapse in what used to be the normalcy of his life. The curiosity gnaws as his consciousness but it is not enough to act upon any surges of bravery he may have.

As he continues typing he looks at the situation with what feels like yet another angle in an infinite loop of possibilities. He’s about to mentally tune out his very loud thinking process when Johnny returns to his own desk, a new bottle of wine in his hands. He puts the wine in what he dubs his emergency drawer before he sits down, typing his password in before sitting back as his computer loads.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a wine collection as great as yours,” Jaehyun comments. Months of sitting next to Johnny gave his desk mate many opportunities to explain the exquisite world of fancy alcohol to him. “I guess the company has the ultimate wine collection. All these bottles come from the company anyways.” Jaehyun pauses. “Do you think I’ll eventually discover the secret stash if I push all the buttons in the elevator?”

He passes it off as a joke but the waver in Johnny’s expression confirms certain suspicions that Jaehyun has. Johnny quickly schools his expression as he laughs out loud, albeit forced.

“You’re hilarious Jae,” he comments, clicking into a document on his computer, “Someone would catch you before you could try any funny business.” Johnny joking back sounded like he was mildly making a concealed threat. He doesn’t say anything more and Jaehyun decides to push his luck.

“Do we even have a secret fancy cellar anyways? What’s on the other floors in the building?”

Johnny pauses his scrolling and he eyes Jaehyun with a wary expression. He clenches his jaw as if to prevent himself from saying anything condemning.

“You know,” Johnny says, shrugging. His shoulders are tense. “Other company stuff. Maybe we do have a secret cellar, not that it would be important to find out.”

Johnny makes it very clear that he wants to stop talking about the topic so Jaehyun drops it, looking back at his work. He picks up his mug to take a sip of coffee when he realizes his mug is empty. He comments that he’s going to refill and stands up. As he walks towards the kitchen he hears Johnny roll his chair over to Taeyong’s cubical.

“When will he find out?” Jaehyun hears Johnny whisper. Taeyong doesn’t reply for a moment.

“Not now. Not when he isn’t ready,” Taeyong whispers back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I update this fic in shorter increments on AFF so that usually means that if you read this on AFF you'll likely get a sneak peak of a new chapter. 
> 
> Here's this fic cross posted on AFF:  
> [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1371620/be-afraid-of-how-much-you-love-me)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery is starting to unravel more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this fic is almost 7.5k words with almost nothing explained LMAO. Everything will be out in time.

It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon when Jaehyun gets the rushed proposition.

 

“I need help grabbing some boxes from the 6th floor, come with me.” It wasn’t so much a proposition as it was a command but Jaehyun doesn’t take any offence as he hastily gets up to follow Yuta to the elevator. This is the first time any of his co-workers have directly mentioned another floor to him, let alone ask him to purposefully go there. Yuta looks somewhat on edge as they wait for the elevator to reach them. A mixture of feelings hits Jaehyun as he walks into the elevator with Yuta. On one hand he’s extremely excited about his co-worker trusting him enough to expose him to the secretive world that seems to be the other floors in the building. One the other hand, Jaehyun is apprehensive and slightly alarmed at the sudden opportunity that was given to him, especially with a tense Yuta beside him. His co-worker is usually all smiles with a bright demeanour that rarely becomes foul. The uncharacteristic silence is a little suffocating.

 

When the elevator sounds, signifying their arrival, Jaehyun braces himself for the unknown. The room turns out to be a lab, scientific equipment strewn on top of the tables and paper everywhere. After Jaehyun walks out and the elevator doors close, Yuta turns around and pushes Jaehyun against the wall with surprising force.

 

“Listen very carefully and do not interrupt or ask questions. I have exactly a minute and a half before surveillance is up again and we need to be back on the ninth floor before that happens. I’m sure you’ve been noticing many things that are off about this place and you are 100% right. What it is I am not able to tell you and none of the others will be able to tell you either. It is your responsibility to figure out and what you do beyond that is up to you. Dreams? I’m sure you’ve been having them. Pay close attention to them.” Yuta pauses for a second to look Jaehyun dead in the eyes. There’s a furious fire burning within them and Jaehyun swallows with difficulty.

“Taeyong-“ Whatever Yuta was going to say about the boss gets lost as he stops himself. Instead, Yuta takes out a small vile and sticks it in Jaehyun’s blazer pocket.

 

“This is only for an emergency. Use it at the right time.” With that, Yuta presses the elevator button to go up. He grabs a box and gives it to Jaehyun before grabbing one of his own. As the elevator dings, signifying its arrival, Yuta runs his free hand through his hair with a defeated sigh.

 

“Please…” he whispers with utmost despair, voice trembling a little.

 

Without another word he pulls Jaehyun into the elevator with him and makes a beeline for the kitchen after grabbing Jaehyun’s box from him when they arrive back at the ninth floor. With thoughts racing through his head, Jaehyun meets Taeyong’s gaze on his way to sit back down at his desk. An unexplainable wave of unexplainable guilt washes over him as he sees what looks like a glimmer of hope in Taeyong’s eyes. The expression almost immediately disappears as it’s replaced by a soft smile instead.

 

-

 

Later that night, Jaehyun is still in the office doing work and attempting to catch up with his racing thoughts. Everyone has gone home for the night except Taeyong, the older man hunched over his desk typing away at his keyboard. Jaehyun wants to start a conversation but he remembers Yuta’s words. Whatever surveillance he was talking about must be constantly monitoring what goes on in the building and Jaehyun’s pretty sure Yuta doesn’t want anyone else to know about the conversation they had.

 

To Jaehyun’s surprise, it was Taeyong that spoke up first.

 

“Something on your mind?” Taeyong stops his work and spins his chair around to face Jaehyun. Jaehyun contemplates lying to his boss with a quick “no” but he settles for telling a vague truth.

 

“There’s a lot on my mind,” Jaehyun admits, stopping his work as well to face his boss. Taeyong hums as if he was expecting a similar response.

 

“Well, I may not be able to help you with whatever is on your mind, but I may be able to distract you for a bit.” He stands up, grabbing his jacket from the back of his office chair. “Would you care to join me for a late night snack?” In the dimly lit office Taeyong looks ethereal, slightly dishevelled hair looking purposefully styled and expression unintentionally close to a smoulder. Jaehyun obvious cannot say no.

 

“Sure, that sounds nice.”

 

-

 

The restaurant is a short walk from the office, the crisp autumn air feeling closer to winter at night. Jaehyun and Taeyong walk beside each other in a comfortable silence, walking at the same pace. The streetlights cast a glow on the almost empty roads. When they arrive at the restaurant, Taeyong opens the door and Jaehyun vocalizes his thanks before stepping in.

 

Once seated at a small booth and having ordered an assortment of unhealthy deep fried foods, it’s just Jaehyun and Taeyong. Sitting in a cramped booth at a late night restaurant with his boss leaves him a tad bit speechless. Having Lee Taeyong as his boss, as he’s come to terms with over his time working at the company, leaves him even more speechless. Luckily, it’s Taeyong who starts the conversation.

 

“So what made you decide to apply to the company?” Taeyong asks, taking a sip of his water.

 

“I had quit my old job,” Jaehyun starts, rubbing the back of his neck lightly, “There were…certain circumstances that I couldn’t justify in regards to my supervisor. For my own sake, and I guess for her sake as well, I decided to quit. After losing my job so suddenly I started applying to all the jobs within my area of expertise. I applied to Limitless Corp. on a whim to be honest. I knew it was a highly sought after job. Limitless has a huge reputation for being mysterious and very difficult to get into. Although my degrees are more specialized, what prompted me to apply was the fact that Limitless pays more for an office assistant than most other companies pays their managing accountants. I would be lying if I wasn’t motivated by the pay.”

 

Jaehyun blushes slightly at his long rambling paragraph but Taeyong seems interested.

 

“You are a great addition to the team,” he says warmly, although Jaehyun can see that the warmth doesn’t reach his eyes. Jaehyun notices there’s always an underlying sadness to Taeyong’s demeanour despite how valiantly he attempts to pretend that nothing is wrong.

 

“I personally looked through your file and I was actually really surprised that someone of your qualifications applied to be an office assistant,” Taeyong admits. “I’m very glad you decided to take the job, not just for my sake but for the others as well.”

 

There it is again, the vagueness in Taeyong’s statement, similar to what Jaehyun’s other co-workers have been saying to him, appears as if he’s talking in code.

 

“Everyone on the floor seems really close,” Jaehyun comments, attempting to pry a little deeper. Yuta’s warnings continuous play in the back of his mind. He needs to choose his words carefully.

 

Taeyong smiles a genuinely fond smile. “We are,” he replies earnestly. “Everyone on the 9th floor care deeply for each other. In this line of work it’s always important to have each other’s backs.”

 

Jaehyun refrains from pointing out the irony of the statement in correlation to office work.

 

“You-“ Taeyong pauses as if he is also choosing his words carefully. “We are all really happy that you’re hear now,” he says instead. “Truly, you are a gift.” A moment of silence follows Taeyong’s earnest statement, a heavy weight lingering upon those words.

 

Before Jaehyun can reply the food arrives at their table. Once everything is settled Taeyong switches the topic to Jungwoo’s hilariously cynical jokes. The things Yuta told him on the 6th floor suddenly became much more real. Everyone appears to know about the gravity of the situation but it is apparent that Jaehyun needs to figure it out on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to stop my brain from deciding that 3 AM is a great time to write fics.


End file.
